Wise & Well Weekly
Wise & Well Weekly: The newsletter helping you make tomorrow a little better than today
Welcome back to your weekly dose of wisdom and wellness, with science-backed insights you can use to improve your physical, mental and emotional well-being. This week’s articles delve into friendship and introspection, psychology and wisdom, and as always, health and wellness. Plus some strange stuff near the end to keep it light. First…
Some personal news: My book Make Sleep Your Superpower is now available as an audiobook via Amazon and via Audible. (It’s also available in paperback and as a Kindle ebook.) It’s aimed at anyone who seeks greater physical or mental health, or more productivity, or who simply wants to sleep better. And now, on an even more personal note…
I met up with an old friend this week, and it reminded me how important old friends are, sparking a story, and making me reflect deeply on two other Wise & Well stories we published this week…
We’re Reshaping Our Brains With Loneliness and ADHD
This story is for everyone, regardless where you are on the spectrum of mental health. Thanks to internet connectivity and our increasingly mobile society that disconnects family and friends, our modern way of life has created a vicious feedback loop that threatens to push all of our brains further along the ADHD spectrum. We’re creating the cycle with little to no awareness, argues this psychiatrist and neuroscientist. But he has a solution: Breaking the feedback loop wherever it’s easiest.
— By John Kruse MD, PhD
My Expulsion from the Herd
We are a tribal species, and this writer’s banishment from the group he so desperately wanted to be a part of was so psychologically painful, he still struggles to talk about it two decades later. But writing about it has helped him better understand where he went wrong, and to appreciate the wiser human he’s become. “I look back compassionately, and with fondness, on that silly teenage boy,” he writes. This is one in an occasional Wise & Well series of Stories We Never Told Anyone.
— By Niall Stewart
No less compelling are these other health and wellness gems from our amazing writers…
The Allure and False Promise of Personality Tests
Personality tests are more popular than ever, and while they can be fun to goof around with for an individual, they often yield inaccurate results and can saddle people with labels and supposed traits that do more harm than good. This psychologist explains how they work, the many flaws, and why employers should not be allowed to use them when screening prospective hires.
— By Gail Post, PhD
Opill, the First OTC Birth Control Pill, Explained
The first non-prescription birth control pill is expected to be on store shelves soon, now that the FDA has approved it. This pharmaceutical expert explains how it works, how effective it is, plus the side effects and costs you can expect.
— By Sarah Lynch
Bringing Hoarding Out of the Closet
TV shows about hoarding help some people see that their own hoarding behaviors have led to problems for which help may be available. It can normalize their behavior and reduce shame. But for others, the voyeuristic aspect of these shows can foster ridicule, horror, or derision, increasing the shame that many already feel. Learn the emerging but not-yet-settled psychology of “hoarding disorder” — what it really is, and what it’s not.
— John Kruse MD, PhD
And from our sister publication, Aha! …
Can I Put That Up My Butt?
Sex is perfectly normal and healthy. So is curiosity. If you want to try some butt stuff, that’s your business. But this former ER nurse, she’s seen some things, and she wants to help you keep it that way. Inserting the wrong item up there can land you in the ER, or worse — the OR.
— By Andrea Romeo RN, BN
How Does the Full Moon Affect Humans?
People blame the lunar cycle for everything from baby booms to crime, lousy sleep to depression. Some of the claims seem to have merit, but much of it is sheer lunacy. Learn what the science says.
— By Kathleen Murphy
Exercise Damages the Body. So Why Does it Feel So Good Afterward?
Workout soreness is a sign of minor muscle damage, which the body then gets to work repairing, so you can come back stronger. Meantime, that gym session or long jog feels so good. Why? That’s your brain dumping a cocktail of chemicals into the bloodstream. Here’s how it works.
— By Sam Westreich, PhD
My Wife is a Mosquito Magnet. I’m Not. Why?
Mosquitoes are drawn to us by the smell of the carbon dioxide we emit. But as they close in, a variety of other factors determine their preferences, from a person’s genetics to whether they’re pregnant or if they’ve recently had a beer or eaten a banana. Beyond changing your diet, here’s what you can do to make yourself less of a target.
—By Warren Thurlow
Wise & Well writers are physicians, psychiatrists, research scientists, dieticians, fitness experts, journalists and other professionals who share their expertise to help you make tomorrow a little better than today. — Rob
Always interesting snippets Robert. Recently, we connected with some old friends via zoom. We became friends over 30 years ago but haven't seen each other for a decade. During the conversation it occurred to me and I voiced that we were 'friends for life'. They are not the only 'friends for life' we have. So good to know we can dip in and dip out and pick up where we left off.